Just Missed You
by Cheddar the Cheese
Summary: On his last night at Hogwarts, Peter Pettigrew goes looking for his missing friends but comes across someone else who will forever change his life. One moment can change an entire history and the tale of how Peter Pettigrew became one of the most hated na


Title: Just Missed You  
  
By: Cheddar  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters except Professor Dunne who doesn't even count.  
  
Summery: On his last night at Hogwarts, Peter Pettigrew goes looking for his missing friends but comes across someone else who will forever change his life. One moment can change an entire history and the tale of how Peter Pettigrew became one of the most hated names in the wizarding world plays its self out in a cold Slytherin dungeon.  
  
It was just him. Once again, Peter Pettigrew sat alone in the Gryffindor common room. Alone; surrounded by a sea of unremarkable faces and inane gossip. Peter rolled his eyes. Where were they? James had said that they'd all meet up in the common room just after dinner. It was their last night in the castle after all. Why shouldn't they go out with a bang? But dinner had been over for an hour and he was alone. With a heavy sigh, he hefted himself up and wandered out of the common room with the intent of finding his missing friends.  
  
"Don't be gone too long," he heard the fat lady call after him as she swung shut behind him. "Curfew's in two hours!" Peter ignored her.  
  
He checked the Great Hall, now empty and echoing with the sounds of the voices that had filled it as recently as an hour ago. Peter almost believed that if he listened hard enough, he might hear the straining voices from the first meal ever served in that room, but if it was ever to be, it wasn't tonight. Back out in the hall, he ignored a group of Ravenclaw girls as they passed him giggling at Merlin only knew what and ventured down the hall towards the library. It would be empty tonight since there were no more classes until next fall. But maybe they'd gone with Lily to return a book and they'd all had to wait in line with every one else returning books. No, that wasn't it either. The library held only a few stragglers this year and one brassed off looking librarian. Peter continued on down the hall.  
  
This wasn't the first time he'd gotten left behind. Sure, it didn't happen often but it was with a pang of envy that he realized that none of the others got left behind. Not Lily or Remus or Sirius and defiantly not James. No, it was just him. But Peter didn't mind so much… Only a little. And the sting always went away.  
  
Peter looked at his surroundings and noticed he was down near the dungeons now. Rumor was that the Slytherin common rooms were near by but he didn't much care one way or the other. He turned on his heel to go back up into the castle proper to continue his search but found his path blocked by none other than Lucius Malfoy with Severus Snape standing just behind him. "Going somewhere interesting, you little worm?" Malfoy asked with a sneer.  
  
"N-no," Peter stammered. He didn't always stutter. Just when he was nervous.  
  
"So then you won't mind staying to talk to us for a bit then?"  
  
"No," Peter said again noticing with relief that his voice had hardly wavered that time. "I- I have to go."  
  
"What? Did your little friends wander off to play without you? Poor baby," Lucius mocked him. "Or have you lost something? Did you leave your teddy bear in potions today, little worm?" Malfoy spoke as if speaking to a small child and Peter hoped the other boy never had children of his own.   
  
"I have to go," he told them in a voice that he hoped left no room for argument.  
  
Snape glared at him. "Don't move."  
  
Lucius glared at the other Slytherin before turning back to face Peter. "Ignore him. I just want to talk to you."  
  
Peter wasn't buying it. He wasn't a fool. Despite what some people might say about his house. "I'm late."  
  
"Time is relative, Peter. You're only late if you say you are. Just talk with me for a minute. I just want to ask you some questions."  
  
"I don't believe you," Peter said. Even he could hear the stammer begging to be let back into the words.  
  
"Am I that bad? Surely I'm not all that intimidating. Surely a brave and noble Gryffindor like yourself would simply let me ask a few measly questions. Otherwise he would have left by now."  
  
Peter didn't point out that the two Slytherins were blocking his path. Nor did he bring up that they had been mocking him only moments before. He didn't say anything.  
  
"He won't help us," Snape said darkly. "I told you."  
  
"H-help you? How can I help? I'm just Peter." He was confused now. These two were some of the smartest in the school. Why would they need his help?  
  
"We just wanted to know if Lily knew how to do the patronus."  
  
"Why? Planning on getting caught for being the Dark idiot you are? Afraid of Dementors then?" Peter felt a rush of self pride at these bold words. Lucius glared darkly at him.  
  
"What about the fidelius?" The blonde asked smoothly, ignoring the jibe about his shady activities.  
  
Peter looked from one boy to the other. Even he could tell there was something going on here. Why would they be asking about the very spell they'd been discussing only just that day? Did they know? What was he saying? The two of them were known for being neck deep in the dark arts! Of course they knew! He began to panic. His eyes were shifting, searching for a way out. He felt cornered. Trapped.  
  
"What is it?" Lucius sneered. "Is the little rat felling trapped?" Peter's eyes snapped back to the other boy in fright Did he know? He couldn't know. "Oh yes, Peter, I know all about it," Malfoy's voice was low and smooth as honey. "I know how you and your little Gryffindor friends sneak out at night, I know what you all are. All of you."  
  
"W-what are you going to do then?" Peter stammered feeling all of his earlier bravado draining out of him.   
  
"Well, I'm going to remind you how interested the Headmaster would be in all of this and then I'm going to ask you one ore time: Does the little mudblood know the fidelius charm?"  
  
Peter knew he had to tell them. It was just one little word right? Then he could go. James would forgive him this. "Y-yes." He expected Malfoy to react but he gave nothing away.  
  
"Now, the only way a little rat like you would know that is if they were talking about it."  
  
"So what if they were? Why should you care?"  
  
"It might interest some friends of mine, Peter. They could be friends of yours too. Not that someone like you would want friends like that."  
  
"Like me?" Peter squeaked. "What do you mean by that? I can be friends with who ever I want."  
  
Snape's eyebrows were in danger or being swallowed by his greasy mane of hair. "Oh, we've no doubt about that."  
  
"I can be friends with your friends too! You'll see."  
  
Lucius smirked. "I'm sure my friends would like that very much." He turned back to Snape. "We should go. It is the last night after all. Place to see, people to do." He strutted off down the hallway as Snape's lip curled in disgust at Malfoy's lack of tact.  
  
"And to think he'll be a married man in a month." Severus shook his head and then seemed to notice that Peter was still standing there. "If you think of anything else those friends of ours might be interested in, owl me," he threw over his shoulder as he too took off down the corridor.  
  
Peter was left alone in the dark hallway. He looked down at his hands and noticed they were shaking in rage. "I may not be big, but people like me. You'll see. I'll get your stupid friends to like me too. You'll see." His hands were clenched in rage as he took off back towards the common rooms.  
  
His mind was still turning when he got back. "Peter!" called out a sweet voice.   
  
He wheeled around to see Lily Evans's face peering into his own. "What?"  
  
"We were looking all over for you, Wormtail," Sirius informed him. "What happened? Saying goodbye to all your Ravenclaw lovers?"  
  
"Leave him alone," Remus said in a mock stern voice. He sounded remarkably like Professor Dunne.  
  
James grinned. "We got to the common room but every one said we'd just missed you, old buddy."  
  
Peter grinned as he eyed James' and Lily's clasped hands. "Just missed me? Where were you?"  
  
Lily blushed but James smiled so wide Peter thought his skull might split. "We're going to have a baby. Me an' Lils here."  
  
"B-but what about you-know-who? Isn't he after you? Because…"  
  
"That's what we wanted to talk to you about. We're going into hiding. We want you to be our secret keeper, Peter. Please? For old time's sake?"  
  
"But what about Sirius? Or Remus?"  
  
"I'd be the first one they'd suspect," Padfoot said. "And what with being a werewolf and all, Remus isn't the ideal choice either. We need you."  
  
Peter looked carefully from one beaming face to the other. They were counting on him. "S-sure. Sure I'll do it."  
  
"Great! I just wish we could have had this conversation about an hour ago," Lily said. "I'm cold." 


End file.
